Crossandra plant named ‘Docroswat’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Crossandra plant named ‘Docroswat’, characterized by its compact, upright to outwardly spreading plant habit; moderately vigorous and moderate growth rate; freely branching habit; dense and bushy plant form; freely flowering habit; reddish orange-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Crossandra infundibuliformis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOCROSWAT’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Crossandra plant, botanically known as Crossandra infundibuliformis, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Docroswat’.

The new Crossandra plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and freely-branching Crossandra plants with numerous attractive flowers.

The new Crossandra plant originated from an open-pollination in September, 2018 in De Lier, The Netherlands of Crossandra infundibuliformis ‘Nile Queen’, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Crossandra infundibuliformis as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Crossandra plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands in July, 2019.

Asexual reproduction of the new Crossandra plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands since July, 2019 has shown that the unique features of this new Crossandra plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Crossandra have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Docroswat’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Docroswat’ as a new and distinct Crossandra plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright to outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous and moderate growth rate.     -   3. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy plant form.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Reddish orange-colored flowers.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Crossandra can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Crossandra differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Crossandra are more compact than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Crossandra have shorter internodes than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Leaves of plants of the new Crossandra are glossier than         leaves of plants of the female parent selection.     -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Crossandra are reddish orange in         color whereas flowers of plants of the female parent selection         are red in color.

Plants of the new Crossandra can be compared to plants of Crossandra infundibuliformis ‘Orange Marmalade’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Crossandra differ primarily from plants of ‘Orange Marmalade’ in flower color as flowers of plants of the new Crossandra are reddish orange in color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Orange Marmalade’ are orange in color. In addition, leaves of plants of the new Crossandra are lighter green in color than leaves of plants of ‘Orange Marmalade’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Crossandra plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Crossandra plant. The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Docroswat’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in 12-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in De Lier, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Crossandra production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 35° C. and night temperatures ranged from 17° C. to 25° C. Plants were pinched one time about five weeks after sticking unrooted cuttings. Plants were 14 weeks old when the photograph was taken and twelve weeks old when the description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Crossandra infundibuliformis ‘Docroswat’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Crossandra infundibuliformis ‘Nile             Queen’, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Crossandra             infundibuliformis, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven to ten days at             temperatures about 26° C. to 28° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 12 to 14 days at             temperatures about 16° C. to 18° C.         -   Time to develop roots, summer.—About 21 to 24 days at             temperatures about 26° C. to 28° C.         -   Time to develop roots, winter.—About 26 to 30 days at             temperatures about 16° C. to 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on             substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and             formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, upright to outwardly             spreading plant habit; moderately vigorous and moderate             growth rate.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with about three             primary lateral branches each with about two to three             secondary laterals; bushy and dense plant form.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 25             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 31             cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 55 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 26 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 8 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 8.5 cm.         -   Texture and luster.—Smooth, glabrous; glossy.         -   Strength.—Moderately strong, flexible.         -   Color, developing.—Close to 146A.         -   Color, fully developed.—Close to 146A; at the internodes,             close to 146B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Whorled, simple.         -   Length.—About 6 cm to 8 cm.         -   Width.—About 2 cm to 3 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture and luster, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous; glossy.         -   Texture and luster, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous;             semi-glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 144B. Fully             developed leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A; venation,             close to N147A. Fully developed leaves, lower surface: Close             to 144A; venation, close to N144C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy. Color, upper             surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Salverform flowers arranged on             terminal racemes; freely flowering habit with about 14 to 20             flowers per inflorescence and about 292 flowers developing             per plant during the flowering season; flowers face mostly             upright to outwardly.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously during             the summer in The Netherlands; plants begin flowering about             eight to ten weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about two to four weeks on             the plant depending on temperature; flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 8 cm to 9 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 6 cm to 8 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Shape: Conical. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte.             Color: Close to 35B.         -   Flower diameter.—About 2.5 cm by 4.5 cm.         -   Throat diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Tube length.—About 3 cm.         -   Tube diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Corolla consists of three             to five petals in a single whorl and fused towards the base.             Lobe length: About 2.2 cm. Lobe width: About 1.3 cm. Lobe             shape: Roughly fan-shaped. Lobe apex: Rounded. Lobe margin:             Entire; not undulate. Lobe texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Throat texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             When opening, upper surface: Close to 35A. When opening,             lower surface: Close to 35B. Fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 35A; venation, close to 35A; color becoming closer             to 31B with subsequent development. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 35C; venation, close to 35B; color             becoming closer to 31C with subsequent development. Throat:             Close to 12A; venation, close to 4C. Tube: Close to 12B;             venation, close to 12C.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: About three per flower in             an infundibuliform calyx. Length: About 6 mm. Width: About             3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Acuminate.             Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Slightly pubescence; matte. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 143C.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity: One to three per flower. Length:             About 1 cm to 3 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm. Shape: Conical.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 146A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 9.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Angle: Upright to outwardly spreading. Strength: Strong,             flexible. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy.             Color: Close to 143A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 5 cm to 6 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Angle: Upright to outwardly spreading. Strength: Moderately             strong, flexible. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;             semi-glossy. Color: Close to N144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: One per             flower. Filament length: About 1.5 cm. Filament color: Close             to N199C. Anther length: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Anther width:             Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 15A. Amount of             pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 15A. Gynoecium:             Pistil number: One per flower. Pistil length: About 2 cm to             3 cm. Style length: About 2 cm to 3 cm. Style color: Close             to N199C. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: Close to 16A.             Ovary color: Close to 143C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development has             not been observed on plants of the new Crossandra. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Crossandra have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate temperatures from about     10° C. to about 45° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Crossandra     have not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Crossandra plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Crossandra plant named ‘Docroswat’ as illustrated and described. 